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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A delightful debut..., August 19, 2000
Reading Judith Lansdowne to me is like slowly savoring a fine, aged brandy. Once I have finished the two, I am left with nice feelings of warmth and contentment. Brandy, on the one hand, might go to my head but Lansdowne's prose goes to my heart. I've only read a few of Judith Lansdowne's regencies because most are hard to find. Lansdowne's heroes are not your run of the mill arrogant, pleasure-seeking, useless men of the aristocracy. Her heroes are of the warm, honest, loyal, sweet, tender selfless variety.(Need I go on?) The heroines are usually a match for the hero. Nicholas Chastiain, the Earl of Wickenshire, inherited his title and a mountain of debts from his wastrel of a father at the age of 13. Since that time, he has worked almost like a common laborer on his estates to pay off these debts and improve the estates. Now years later, he is finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. He also stands to inherit a large amount of money from an aunt that will further his improvements. But the will comes with a stipulation. He must teach his aunt's bird, Lord Nightingale, to sing. And he has a deadline. Thank goodness his cousin has a school chum who can sing and is in something of a bind. Serendipity's (Sera) father has died leaving his title and money to a distant relative. This dastardly relative has removed Sera and her much younger sister, Delight, from the ancestral home and now threatens to remove them from the family's London home as well. When Wickenshire's offer comes to teach Lord Nightingale to sing, Sera grabs the offer like an anchor (she has no idea that Lord Nightingale is a bird). Nicky's interaction with Delight, who has a facial birthmark, are some of the most touching scenes I've read in many a day. Nicky, himself, is a well sketched character. He has no idea of his own worth (a trait of Lansdowne heroes). He doesn't think he is fit to be an earl because of his lack of social skills and of the callouses on his hands from hard manual labor. If I were to venture a guess, I'd say his aunt made the strange provision in her will because the all-too-serious Nicky needed some fun in his life. This book is the first of a trilogy (actually four) to be released every month til Christmas. I can't wait for September. Debbie Jett
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by Judith A. Lansdowne
by Judith A. Lansdowne
by Judith A. Lansdowne
by Judith A. Lansdowne
by Judith Lansdowne
